Lily's Secret
by Izabella
Summary: This fic takes place at Hogwarts in the days of the Mauraders. Voldemort has just begun his rise, and he and Dumbledore are in love with the same girl! Chapters 4 and 5 are up, and i have thru 7 finished! Please r/r!!
1. Chapter 1

  
Lily's Secret  
  
Chapter 1   
  
  
  
The sky was a dark, scary shade of blue. Every few seconds there was a great crackling and it would light up, giving everything an eerie glow. It wasn't raining though. Lily Lamont was gazing out of the taxi window, too deep in thought to notice the storm. She had a strange feeling in her......it was sort of inspirational, like she had some important role to play in the world. She couldn't really put her finger on it, but she was definitely feeling dreamy, almost like none of this was happening, like she didn't really exist. It was weird.   
The girl sitting beside her, Petunia Lamont, had tears trickling down her face. She was gazing intently at Lily, her sister, trying to put the picture of her in her memory permantely. How her auburn hair sparkled strangly in the lightening and how her green eyes were so thoughtful and....mysterious....like she had a big secret. Petunia  
muffled a sob and turned her head away.   
Mr. Lamont, a big man with brown hair and big ears, casually nudged the steering wheel. He was whistling Christmas carols to himself, blissfully at ease with all the world, as usual.   
Mrs. Lamont was sitting in the front passenger seat, her heart pounding terribly, her stomach turning over and over, her skin clammy and cold. Terrible thoughts and memories rushed through her mind....things she'd never told anyone, things she hadn't even allowed herself to think of for many years. Several times she came THIS close to telling the taxi driver to turn around, but she could never quite manage it.   
  
  
  
Finally the taxi driver pulled up to a curb in front of King's Cross Station where the three ladies stepped out of the car. Mr. Lamont was not willing to step out into the rain, so he waved cheerfully and blew a kiss to Lily from inside the car.   
"Well," said Mrs. Lamont, her voice unusually tight, "I guess this is it. Petunia, say goodbye to your sister."  
Petunia turned her head and refused to say anything. She was still sobbing.  
"Petunia," said Lily weakly, "you aren't going to see me for four months at least. Can't you just forget everything for a second and.......and........." but her voice stopped working. She blinked her eyes furiously, trying not to cry.  
Petunia made a strange gurling sound as if she was trying to say something but at the last minute decided not to. She gave Lily one last look and in her eyes, Lily saw quite clearly how much she had hurt her. At that point, she nearly decided not to go at all. Nearly.  
"Lily, you're going to miss your train. Why don't you go ahead and just get on it, I'm sure Petunia will write you a letter when she calms down, ok?" said Mrs. Lamont.  
Lily took a deep breath and nodded her head. She gave her mom a quick hug  
and without looking back at Petunia, boarded the Hogwarts Express, almost wishing none of this had even happened. She had never felt so dejected and out of place in her life.  
  
*********************  
  
The first compartment was completely full with seven or eight very jolly  
looking kids, so Lily walked into the next which was the same, and on through the train feeling very lonely and awkward. Finally, in the very last compartment, she found an empty seat next to a girl who looked about her age. She had dark, extemely-curly hair, and she had tried to force it into two braids but at least a third of it had fallen out, and the part that hadn't fallen out was sticking out in many different angles. She was buried in a book. In fact, she was so buried in the book that she did not even notice Lily come in.  
"Excuse me......." said Lily shyly.  
The girl jerked upright, "What? Who are you?"  
"Hi, sorry I startled you. My name is Lily Lamont---I was just wondering if it would be ok for me to sit here?"  
The girl set her book down, revealing her large eyes that were so intensely blue that they could have nearly passed for purple.   
"I'm Mackenzie Dippet. I don't mind, in fact I wish you would sit here. It's actually Severus Snape's seat but he sort of smells. I can't stand smelly people. Please sit here!  
"Ok but where is Severus Snape?" Lily asked.  
"Who knows. Well I mean, he's on the train, naturally but I couldn't begin to tell you where. It's a long story, really."  
"Oh."  
Mackenzie sighed. "Fine, I'll just tell you. Ok do you know Sirius Black?"  
Lily shook her head, "I don't know anyone. My family's not magic."  
"Oh," said the girl after an awkward pause, "Anyways, Sirius Black (whose family isn't magical either, as far as I know) hates this kid named James Potter (I guess you don't know him either) who comes from a long line of very noble wizards--some say he descended from Godric Gryffindor himself.   
"Sirius hates him because James Potter told him that the only way you can get on this train is to dance around in a circle while singing "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer", so he did it, not knowing any better, and nothing happened except everyone standing around laughed at him. I guess he hates being laughed at (who DOESN'T?). Anyways, so he told James Potter to come to the back of the train and fight him like a man, but James didn't show up on time, so he went after him."  
"Where does Severus Snape come in?" Lily asked confusedly.  
"Oh, he was sitting in this compartment and he hates James Potter (I think it's one of those family feud things, the Snapes and the Potters have hated each other as long as anyone can remember) so he just wanted to see him get beat up. Also he wants to be friends with Sirius, but if you had been here earlier you could tell clear as day that Sirius can't stand him. No one can, really, I mean, he smells," said Mackenzie as if that settled it.  
Lily wanted to laugh but she couldn't bring herself to do it.  
"Well we don't hate him just because he smells," Mackenzie continued, "I mean, but that doesn't help him at all. Actually it's mostly because he acts like he's better than everyone else just because his dad has a high position in the Ministry. My grandfather was the bloody Minister of Magic, but you don't see me strutting around like I own the world," she muttered to the side, "I don't really know Severus, to tell you the truth, this is just a bunch of gossip that I got from my friend Sheila Shickaboo on the way to the Hogwarts Express. Her father drove us. Sheila's father works for the Ministry of Magic and they get invited to all those business parties, so Sheila knows lots of people. We still get invited to all the Ministry parties even though my father is dead and no one in my family works there anymore, because my grandfather used to be the Minister. Before that he was actually headmaster at Hogwarts. Mother never wants to go though."  
"Oh, I see," said Lily softly.  
"Sheila was sitting in here but she left when Sirius left. She knows a lot of people and I guess she wanted to talk to them, as well as see the fight. I'd like to see it too, but I have too much reading to do. I'm reading Quidditch Through the Ages, it's really very enlightening. I plan to try out for the house team, but of course not until next year. First years aren't allowed to be on the Quidditch team. But still, it can't hurt to get ahead, can it? I mean, Quidditch is a very complicated game. Mother never lets me play it when I'm at home though, she thinks it's too dangerous. But sometimes I sneak out and play anyways. I simply love sports. And quidditch is simply the best sport ever invented."  
Just then, a skinny boy of medium heighth with wild black hair and dark blue eyes came bursting into the compartment.  
Lily shrunk back in her seat, not wanting to have to talk to anyone. She was shy as it was, but she was also feeling miserable and low. It was really all she could do to keep from bursting into tears right then and there.  
"You're James Potter right?" said Mackenzie.  
"Where did that ugly little slimeball go to? I bet he ran away, the filthy coward! No matter, I'll find him on my own----"  
"If you're talking about Sirius Black," said Mackenzie, "he left about five minutes ago to look for you. He thought you were too scared to show up."  
"He did! Oh well. I guess I'll just sit here and wait for him. No use searching the whole bloody train. Hello," he said to Lily, "I don't think I've ever seen you anywhere...."  
Lily looked up and unconsciously flashed a smile. "I'm Lily."  
"James Potter," said James, grinning awkwardly as he held out his hand for Lily to shake. Then there were a few awkward moments of silence.  
"SO........what house do you all think you'll be in?" James asked.  
"I'll be in Ravenclaw for sure," said Mackenzie, "my whole family has been in there. What about you two?"  
"Anything but Slytherin. I think I'd go on a violent rage if they put me in there. My whole family has been in Gryffindor though, so I guess I'll probably go there. Where do you think you'll go Lily?"  
"I don't know....." she said blushing. She really wasn't in the mood for an interview. Especially as she knew nothing at all about magic.  
"Her family isn't magical," Mackenzie whispered.  
"Really?" said James, looking surprised, "there are times when I wish my family wasn't magical, then I wouldn't have so much to live up to. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Because lots of times if one kid from a muggle family turns out to be magic, all of them will."  
"I have a twin sister. She's not a witch though," Lily said with an odd little quivver in her vioce.  
Just then the door burst open and in came Sirius Black, followed by a dozen or so other kids of various ages.   
"There you are, Potter. I thought you were too much of a sissy to show up," said Black.  
"In your dreams kid. I've been waiting for you here for some time actually."  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Sirius wound up his punching arm--all the girls gasped (a very pretty girl with crystal-blue eyes and curly blonde hair actually fainted)--he took a step forward, and SSSSSLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMM---  
Sirius was thrown back against the wall by some invisible force as his hair started to sprout carrots. Everyone in the room burst out laughing except Lily --but in an instant Sirius had stood up, marched over to James, and punched him in the nose which instantly spurted out a messy trickle of blood.  
"Now you know how REAL men fight," said Sirius with a snarl.  
Everyone was silent.  
"He's right you know," said Lily after an awkward few moments.  
"How's that?" James muttered.  
"A real man wouldn't have cursed someone if he knew he couldn't fight  
back. You knew that Sirius is from a muggle family, so how would he have known the counter curse?"  
"I guess my fighting tactics weren't entirely fair either," said Sirius, acting overly humble as he gnawed down on a carrot that had just sprouted out of his hair, "cause it's obvious James doesn't know squat about fist-fighting!"  
Everyone burst out laughing.  
"We'll SEE about that!" James yelled, putting up his fists and thrusting himself forward at Sirius.  
"See about what?" came a stern female voice.  
Everyone's head snapped in the direction of the voice. It was a very pretty, adult witch, wearing a purple robe. She had silky, raven-black locks and sparkling, violet eyes. Everyone sensed an aura of greatness around her and instantly felt terribly guilty for everything that had just happened.  
"N-n-n-o-t-h-i-n-g......." said a very crimson James after staring goggle-eyed at the witch for a few moments.  
"Why is your nose bleeding?" she asked firmly, and James was about to answer  
her but she cought sight of Sirius and everyone watched with terror as her eyes grew to the size of plums, "WHY are there carrots popping out of that boy's hair?" she demanded, yet Lily could have sworn she saw the faintest glimmer of a humorous twinkle in the witch's eyes.  
"H-h-he.............he......uh.....he.....has........a.....................a disability!" James studdered.  
"I could be wrong," said the witch, "but it looks more like a Carroteritis hex than a disability. Of course, I could be mistaken.......Now why again is your nose bleeding?" she asked, pointing to James.  
"Uh," started Sirius, "........the......um...........well you see...........he's got some problems with.......er.........PRESSURE, yeah, that's it, the....the pressure changes in this train a LOT, especially since we're in the back, and his nose can't take it. He has a VERY sensitive nose."  
"Uh-huh. I think you boys need to both come with me right this instant. By the way, my name is Sophia Saphire, and I will be teaching your Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. I'm sorry we all had to meet this way," she said flashing a smile, and with that, she dragged both James and Sirius out by their ears.  
"Isn't she WONDERFUL!" exclaimed Mackenzie.  
"I thought she was kind of scary," admitted a tall, crumbly boy with a round face and a runny nose.  
"Frank Longbottum, you think EVERYONE is scary," said Mackenzie  
Frank turned redder than Lily's hair as he goggled at Mackenzie.  
"Although I do confess," continued Mackenzie, heedless of the fact that a boy was frozen in place because of her, "Professer Saphire is a bit intimidating, but still, she's perfectly enchanting. I'm so glad we have her for Defense Against the Dark Arts, she's just the right person for the job. There's rumors that the Defense Against the Dark Arts job is jinxed, but I don't think anything could jinx a person like her. Did you guys feel that when she came in? Like she could have killed us all with a stare....."  
"Mackenzie Dippet, do you ever shut up?" came a cold, oily voice.  
Mackenzie glared at Severus.  
"In any case, Professor Saphire isn't half of what she's cracked up to be," Severus said, "I'll admit, she does know a thing or two about the Dark Side, but from what my father and everyone else says, she never let's any of us experiment with it. If you ask me, she's plum scared. Of course, what would you expect? She's head of the Gryffindor House."  
"So what?" Lily said softly, before she had a chance to stop herself.  
Severus was about to come back with some type of sarcastic remark, but he looked into her eyes and instead turned a brilliant shade of crimson.  
"I'll tell you what's wrong with it," said a tall, older boy in the back in a drawling voice, "the whole lot of Gryffindors are Slytherin-wannabees. Everyone knows it."  
Mackenzie flashed Lily a warning look, but it was too late.  
"How do you know THAT?" Lily said, hardly believing that she had  
spoken so confidently.  
"Because, little mudblood (only a mudblood would be as ignorant as YOU  
are about all of this), that's just the way it is."  
Suddenly there was a bunch of banging, clattering, and swearing as James, Sirius, Severus, and Mackenzie all tackled the boy who had called Lily a mudblood, and started beating him.  
Suddenly the whole room went silent as the door swung open, revealing a VERY angry-looking Professer Saphire.  
"You two," she said pointing her wand at James and Sirius who instantly stopped pounding Lucius and shrunk back against the wall, "Go outside the compartment and wait, I'll attend to you in a minute."  
They obeyed immediately, too scared to protest.  
"The Hogwarts Express will be pulling into Hogwarts in a few minutes, and the Sorting Ceremony will be taking place at once. Severus, Mackenzie, and Lucius, I am extremely disappointed in each of you. Do not let me catch you misbehaving again, or you will regret it."   
With that she slammed the door shut, and the train came to a halt. Lily Lamont looked out of the window and saw for the first time, the gigantic, towering mansion with all it's gnarled and mysterious towers, the icey lake, the tall, twisted trees, the dark, foreboding edge of the Forbidden Forest, and all the other wonderful, terrifying sights that accompanied Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Chapter 3  
  
**All familiar characters belong to J.K. Rowling, the plot and everything else is mine : )**  
  
  
The next thing Lily knew, Mackenzie had grabbed her hand and they somehow managed to scramble through the massive mob of Hogwarts students and off the train.  
  
"Now where do we go?" Lily asked.  
  
For once in her life, Mackenzie didn't seem to have an answer.  
Suddenly there came a loud, gruff voice, "FIRS' YEARS, FIRS' YEARS,  
OVER 'ERE, CALLIN' ALL FIRS' YEARS!"  
  
Both girls were temporarily frozen in place as they beheld a gigantic, black-bearded man (WAS he a man?) guiding all the first years to different boats.  
  
"You two look lost," said the gigantic, black-bearded man, "'ere, get inter  
the boat righ' over ther'."  
  
Lily and Mackenzie looked at each other nervously for an instant and then climbed into the small boat which promptly took them over the lake. When they got out, they followed the stream of first years into the great hall where they were all lined up against a wall to wait for the Sorting Ceremony.  
  
What exactly happens to us in this.....er.......Sorting Ceremony?" Lily asked.  
  
Mackenzie shrugged her shoulders, "This is one thing about Hogwarts that no one ever told me. I've heard rumors that they hand everyone a broomstick and they sort us based on how we fly. I hope that's what it is. I'm a damn good flyer."  
  
Lily made a strange choking noise.   
  
"Well I've heard that you have to take a written test on magic," said Severus Snape who was standing beside them, "if that's what it is, I'm sure I'll get in the best house. I've already memorized all our textbooks, and I know loads of other stuff, probably more than most people in this school."  
  
"A test On MAGIC!!!!!???!!!"  
  
"Well, the point of going to this school is to learn MAGIC, isn't it?" said Severus smuggly.  
  
"Good grief Severus, stop trying to sound so smart!" exclaimed Sirius Black who had just walked over to them, "you're making me sick. Besides, I heard that Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster, stands up on that table over there and shoots curses at us, and they place us in houses based on how good we react."  
  
Lily raised her eyebrows, "I think you are all making this all up. I'm sure they could think of something much more creative than flying or a written test or curses."  
  
"I'm with you," said the pretty girl with curly blonde hair that had fainted on the train, "maybe it will involve kissing a toad and watching him turn into a prince, and they'll sort us according to how handsome he is. I'm sure I could produce a GORGEUS prince, if that was the case. What are your names?" she said to Lily and Sirius.  
  
Everyone laughed except Severus. (who was still feeling a bit bitter towards Sirius for telling him he shouldn't talk like he's so smart).  
  
"My name is Lily Lamont," said Lily.  
  
"And I'm Sirius Black"  
  
"Well it's nice to meet you guys, I'm Sheila Shickaboo. Sirius, I saw how you and James were fighting back there, and I think you did a spanking good job. What did Proffessor Saphire say to you when she made you leave the compartment just now?"  
  
Sirius grinned, "Oh nothing much, something about 'step out of line once more and mark my words you will be whipped, or maybe expelled' but all she did was give us a detention. I told her it wasn't fair because school hadn't actually started yet, but she got really angry and said I was 'entirely out of line'" said Sirius, doing an uncanny impression of Professor Saphire, "and not only is she giving us a detention, she's also going to subtract some points from whichever house I get. Not an entirely bad deal.....that kid deserved it."  
  
"I know!" said Sheila excitedly, "I couldn't believe he said that to Lily! And he doesn't even know her!"  
  
"I'm glad I got the opportunity to give Lucius Malfoy my two-cents worth, but I hope Professor Saphire doesn't hate me because of it," said Mackenzie nervously.  
  
"Oh, I doubt she will," said Sirius carelessly, "I mean, she was pretty harsh and strict sounding when she talked to James and me just now, but I don't think she hates us. You can pretty much tell when someone hates you just by their eyes. Take Severus Snape for instance, did you all see how scrunched up his eyes got whenever he looked at James Potter? Like he had a smelly sock under his nose.......but then again, maybe that's just how he always looks."  
  
Everyone laughed. Severus glared at Sirius for a moment and then stormed off.  
  
"Don't you girls think Professor Dumbledore over there is mightily handsome? He has such.....CORISMA," said Sheila dreamily.  
  
"Hmm........" said Sirius, "I think I'm going to go talk to James over there."  
  
"I thought you hated him!" Lily exclaimed.  
  
"What? Oh, well I guess I did, but he's really a funny kid, did you SEE the way he tackled that Malfry kid or whatever his name was? It was classic!" and with that, Sirius bolted away.  
  
"Anyway girls," said Sheila as she watched Sirius walk away, "what do you think of Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"He certainly does have nice eyes," remarked Lily, "and I like the way his hair falls over his brow, but his nose is a little odd-looking, don't you think?"  
  
"I think it suits him perfectly. Oh my gosh, Lily, he has THE most soothing voice----"  
  
"Well that sort of thing doesn't really matter, I mean, he's like the greatest wizard alive! He could be uglier than.....Severus Snape, and everyone would still adore him," said Mackenzie.  
  
"I've never actually even heard his voice," continued Sheila as if she hadn't heard Mackenzie, "but you can just tell from the way he looks that it would be perfectly divine. It's completely hopeless though; I think he's in love with Professor Saphire."  
  
At that precise moment, Professor Dumbledore himself, dressed in an emerald cloak with a massive, dirty-looking, black hat, stood up at the head of the Great Hall.  
  
"Good evening to all of you," he said cheerily with a twinkle in his eye, "my name, for those of you that don't know, is Albus Dumbledore and I would like to welcome all of the first years (and everyone else too) to Hogwarts. First years, you are about to participate in a Ceremony that has taken place every year for more than a millennium. Fear not, it is completely simple and requires a minimal amount of effort on your part. Anyways.....er........pardon me for JUST one moment...."  
  
Everyone watched curiously as he pulled of the enormous hat and placed it on a chair.  
  
"There we are. Now, I want all of you first years to take a deep breath and relax, (and also be quiet). The hat will explain everything."  
  
Lily's eyes grew very big as she looked at Sheila and Mackenzie questioningly. Mackenzie was extremely pale, and Sheila was making lots of strange hiccuping noises.   
  
"Oh my good-HIC-ness," Sheila moaned, "I am so incread-HIC-ibly nervous. What if I get into Slytherin? I would scream, I've heard there's not a sin-HIC-gle handsome boy to ever go in that house---"  
  
"SHHHHH!!!!!!!" Mackenzie warned, for just then the Hat twitched upward, and a large rip opened in its side, it took a deep breath and started to sing...........  
  
  



	4. The Sorting Ceremony

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling, the plot (yes, there IS a plot) and all of the un-recognizably JK Rowling-owned characters are mine too.   
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"So here you are at last,  
in the good ol' Hoggy Wart,  
waiting, waiting, waiting,  
for someone to start to sort.  
  
"Well this must be your lucky day,  
for I am just the one,  
to put you in a House where it's sure,  
you'll have lots of fun!  
  
"Hufflepuff could be your match,  
if you are funny and kind,  
or maybe you belong in Ravenclaw,  
if you have a bright mind.  
  
"Slytherin is the place for you,  
If you are clever and like to trick,  
But if you're brave and honorable,  
Gryffindor would be your pick.  
  
"So when I call your name out,  
Come up here to where I'm at,  
Put me on and I'll put assign you a house,  
For I'm a Sorting Hat!!!!  
  
  
  
Everyone in the Great Hall clapped enthusiastically as the Sorting Hat finished his song, but were immediately hushed as the magnified voice of the Hat called out the first person.   
  
"ALGAE, BERTHA!!!!!!"  
  
Bertha Algae stood up with a smirk, waddled over to the sorting hat, and jammed it over her head (she was somewhat of a large girl and even the Sorting Hat had trouble fitting over her head).  
  
Two seconds had not even passed when the hat shouted out, "SLYTHERIN!!!!"  
  
Bertha did not look the least bit surprised as she yanked the hat off and waddled over to the Slytherin table.  
  
"BLACK, SIRIUS!" screamed the hat as soon as Bertha managed to squeeze out of it.  
  
Sirius jumped up from his seat and went over to the Sorting Hat and put it on.  
  
"AHHHHHHHH!!!! I'M DROWNING!!!!!!!!!" he screamed as the massive  
hat enveloped nearly all of his head. The entire Great Hall burst out laughing. A minute or two later, the hat pronounced him, "GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Sirius, looking rather harrassed, took the hat off and dropped it back on the chair with a look of discust. Then, with a good-humored laugh, he marched right over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Everyone in the room was looking at him somewhat oddly, except Sheila who was smiling at him dreamily.  
  
Next was "CROUCH, BARTY!!!" who was finally declared Hufflepuff after nearly five mintues.  
  
After Barty Crouch was "COROLTON, ANGELA"  
  
A tall girl with long, perfectly-groomed, chocolate-brown hair, an equally long nose, and high eyebrows stood up and glided over to the hat. She picked it up with a look of discust, as if not wanting to touch something that old and gringy, put it on, and in an instant was declared "SLYTHERIN!!!"  
  
There were a few other people after Angela Corolton who all went to Hufflepuff and then, "Dippet, Mackenzie!!"  
  
Mackenzie walked shakily over to the hat and placed it on her head. It must have been two full minutes before the hat finally declared her "GRYFFINDOR!!!"  
  
Several more people were called after Mackenzie, and then "LAMONT, LILY!"  
  
"Good--HIC--luck!" whispered Sheila as Lily stood up and boldly walked over to the Sorting Hat and put it on.  
  
"Hmmmm..." came a voice inside Lily's head startling her so much that she nearly let out a scream, "you are a toughy Miss Lamont...you are extremely intelligent, I see that right away....but I think there's more in you than just that. You'd do splendid in Ravenclaw with your brains and all...but there seems to be something deeper in you..."  
  
"Nothing but queasiness," thought Lily to herself.  
  
"Well that may be true but unfortunately we don't have a house for the queasy students. It's a good thing to because everyone in the school would be in it," said the hat, chuckling to himself, "Miss Lamont...no don't say that, it's definitely not stupidity, I don't know why you are so hard on yourself, Miss Lamont. Ah, yes...it's becoming clearer now...well that about settles it, now that I see what you are REALLY capable of. Goodness, it would shock even Dumbledore, I think. I haven't seen that quality so strongly in ANYONE in eight hundred and twenty-three years. There's no doubt about it, Miss Lamont, you belong in GRYFFINDOR!!!!!"  
  
Everyone at the Gryffindor table clapped happily as Lily walked over and sat down next to Sirius and Mackenzie at their table, relieved that it was over.  
  
"LONGBOTTUM, FRANK!!!" screamed the Hat. But Frank Longbuttum sat  
clutching his chair, refusing to move, and making strange gurgling noises. Finally Professer Saphire dragged him over to the hat and jammed it on his head. A moment later, to everyone's astonishment, the Hat pronounced him GRYFFINDOR!!! Frank Longbottum jumped out of the chair, forgetting to take the hat off, and before anyone could stop him he slid on the marble floor and came crashing down, hat and all.  
  
The entire room gasped (a few Slytherins chuckled) as a scarlet Frank stood up, put everything back into place, and limped over to the Gryffindor table.  
  
"LUPIN, REMUS!" shouted the hat when Frank had finally managed to get over to the Gryffindor table.   
  
Remus Lupin, a small, pale boy with tattered robes, walked over to the hat and lifted it weakly, as if it was a heavy weight. He hadn't even set it on his head all the way when it pronounced him "GRYFFINDOR!!"  
  
Sheila suddenly started letting out monstrous hiccups, and looked even more pale then normal.  
  
"What's the matter with her? She sounds like a whale," said Sirius as the Sorting Hat called out "PATIL, POLINA."  
  
Lily and Mackenzie both giggled as they imagined what the look on Sheila's face would be if she knew Sirius had just compared her to a whale.  
  
"I never knew that whales made ANY sounds, much less loud hiccupping ones like Sheila," said Mackenzie doubtfully.  
  
PELAFONO, PIPER--------------RAVENCLAW!!" screamed the hat and  
Piper, a short, skinny girl with two yellow, curly pig-tails, hopped out of her seat and literally skipped over to the Hufflepuff table.  
  
"Well if they DID make sounds," said Sirius as the hat pronounced Peter Pettigrew--Gryffindor-- "THAT'S what they'd sound like."  
  
"POTTER, JAMES!" screamed the hat.  
  
James Potter, looking a shade paler than usual, stood up and went over to the hat. Sirius gave him a thumbs-up as he slid it on over his head. A moment later, however, the hat pronounced James "Gryffindor!!!"  
  
James gave a sigh of relief and sat down next to Sirius. The hat called out a few more names and then "SHICKABOO, SHEILA----------GRYFFINDOR" and "SNAPE, SEVERUS-----------SLYTHERIN!!!!!!"  
  
After the last few end-of-the-alphabet kids were sorted, the rip on the side of the hat sealed itself up and Dumbledore eagerly invited everyone to "DIG IN!!!!!" and so they did, with great squeals of delightment as their plates filled up with all sorts of delicious treats. Sirius was in the middle of telling James a joke when a fat little kid with flattened, brown hair waddled over to them.  
  
"Hi my name is Peter can I sit with you guys?"  
  
Sirius gave him a look of discust and had all but shoed him away forever (imagine how THAT would have changed the course of events that were to come) when............  



	5. The Surprise Guest

Chapter 5  
  
  
"Of course you can sit here, I'm James and that's Sirius," said James.  
  
Sirius gave James and evil look, but James ignored it and started to talk to Peter. Meanwhile, Sheila tried to start a conversation with Sirius, but she turned so red after uttering one sentence that she had to rush out to the restroom. Sirius was laughing hysterically at her. Mackenzie was sitting by Frank Longbottum, talking to him amicably, trying to make him feel better about falling down and everything.  
  
Suddenly the boy that Lily was sitting next to, a short pale kid with dusty brown hair and big gray eyes, started coughing violently.  
  
"Are you ok??" Lily asked.   
  
"Yeah, I'm just a little sick," said the boy as soon as he could talk, "what's your name?"  
  
"Lily Lamont. What's yours?"  
  
"Remus Lupin. Did you always know about this place?"  
  
"No. I had never heard of it until I got that green letter."  
  
"I didn't even know there WAS such a thing as magic until one day when...well I found out a little while ago because of this thing...that happened and...er... but anyways, were you surprised to be accepted here?"  
  
"I was shocked. I'm just like you, Remus, I didnt even know there was such a thing as Magic. No one in my family is magic except me, not even my twin sister."  
  
"You have a twin sister?"  
  
"Yep," said Lily, nearly choking on the great lump that had just formed in her throat," she hates me now. She didn't want me to come here."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Lily shrugged her shoulders, praying that Remus would change the subject.  
  
"So are you really the ONLY magical person in your family?" Remus asked.  
  
"Yeah, as far as I know......"  
  
"I thought I was too, but my dad told me just before I came here that my mom, who ran off right after she had me, was a witch. He had never told me before because he didn't want me to know about magic and stuff, I guess he was afraid I'd run off too or something."  
  
"Oh, I see," said Lily softly, "Well, unless they're keeping something from me, I'm the only magic person in my family. My dad and sister are definitely muggles though. There's no doubt in my mind. My mom is too, I'm sure, although she could probably pass for a witch. She's not quite as...you know...blatantly muggle as most muggles."  
  
Just then, an old, bent-over man with white eyebrows that were so enormous they made his eyes look like two little slits, hobbled into the Great Hall.  
  
Many of the students gasped with surprise. Professor Dumbledore stood up and welcomed him with a smile.  
  
"Students, may I present the Minister of Magic, Harold Harvey, who has graciously accepted my invitation to our feast."  
  
"Good evening to all of you," he said almost dreamily, "I am sorry I couldn't be here to watch you all get sorted. Students, I want you to all sit up straight and put on your VERY best behavior, for we are about to be blessed with the company of an amazing, very bright wizard. He was head boy in his day, and I have just managed to convince him to accompany me here. I'm sure it's alright, eh Dumbledore?"  
  
Dumbledore was looking a bit anxious.  
  
He should be here any min---"  
  
Suddenly, the door of the Great Hall swung open and in walked a very tall, very thin, very pale wizard with blazing black hair and icey green eyes. He was very handsome (Sheila started hiccupping again).  
  
For some reason, as soon as this wizard entered the room, Professor Dumbledore sprung out of his chair and pulled out his wand…  
  
"Aha," said the wizard amicably in a high-pitched voice, "Professor Dumbledore. It has been far too long, since last we met."  
  
Something about the tone of his voice sent chills down Lily's spine. From what she could tell, most everyone else looked rather uncomfortable as well.  
  
"Yes, Tom, far too long. I welcome you to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, forcing a smile, as he put his wand back.   
  
Tom let out a long, wild laugh, "God this place hasn't changed at all since I was here. How disappointing. Well, students," he said, still laughing a bit, "you should feel very honored. Albus Dumbledore is by far the most........ er......knowledgable person I know.......except for maybe myself."  
  
Suddenly his attention faltered as his eyes met those of Sophia Saphire........  
  
For a brief instant, the cold, tombstone eyes melted, and Lily saw that he almost looked sad...but in a flash they were back to normal.  
  
Sophia Saphire avoided the eyes of Tom Riddle.  
  
Professor Dumbledore observed all of this and said, "Alright students, time for bed, your prefects will lead you to your tower and give you the password. Sweet Dreams to all...."  
  
  
A/N ahhhh this is a reaally old fic that I found in the depths of my pc the other day, and I already had through chapter 7 finished. If you want to see it, R/R!! I want at least 6 reviews before I post chapter 6! As soon as that happens, I promise I'll post it!  



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